Love at First Blush
by BoxingBunny
Summary: When Kagome comes to study in America, a chance encounter sweeps her into the world of Char Delphi. And one piece of this new world catches her attention. A piece by the name of Rail Kainer. ON HIATUS UNTIL JANUARY 2013


AN: Go read the three volumes of RE:Play if you haven't done so already. That is all. Oh, wait! One more thing! Because Kagome is going to America for this one, when she speaks in Japanese (which I'll be using an online translator for…I am fail) I'll have the translation following so that you don't have to scroll to the bottom and lose your place or anything. So, just to clarify, it will be set up like this:

"Japanese (_translation_)."

If this is confusing to anyone, just let me know and if you have a suggestion for an easier way to do that, please let me hear it! These stories are for you guys and I want to make the reading experience for you as enjoyable as possible!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Love at First Blush

Chapter 1

Kagome stared at the mirror in absolute wonder. She'd never been able to get her hair to do that! Her amazement continued as she tilted her head this way and that only to watch her perfectly straight hair flow with the movements. In its natural state, it would have just moved a little from one side to the other. But now, like _this_, it seemed to flow like water. It spilled over her shoulders, brushed her face, and…well, blocked her vision a little…but she could deal with that! Goodbye days of fluff and frizz, hello silky-smooth strands!

It was never a look that she had pictured herself sporting, but the longer she let it soak in, the more she found that she liked it. With only a little of the right product, a flatiron, and the will of the gods, Kagome's new "stylist" had transformed her hair but that was only part of the overall look.

With her hair parted on the right and her straightened bangs swept to the left, she had to admit that she looked older—which meant that she now at least looked all of her twenty-one years. Her new, somewhat-eccentric friend hadn't stopped there, either. With the dark eyeliner, smoky eye shadow, and coral-pink lip gloss, she looked like a little doll. The outfit chosen for her—a "work in progress" according to the designer—only added to her doll-like appearance. A light blue corset-esque tank top highlighted features that she didn't even know her body possessed. She couldn't help but blush at the cleavage she was sporting. The top was accented with white ribbons and ruffles here and there while it perfectly matched the light-weight (and very short) skirt adorned with the same ruffles along the hem.

A long strand of pearls wrapped around her slender neck a few times with the rest of the length draping across her chest and a pair of white thigh-highs completed the outfit. Except for the shoes. Those were being searched for while she waited in the "dressing room"…a.k.a. Char's bedroom.

"Not exactly what I expected when I came to America," Kagome mumbled with a small giggle as she gave herself another once-over in the full-length mirror.

**Four hours prior: **

Kagome wandered the busy halls of the university that she'd recently been accepted into. It had taken the better part of a year to get everything set up for her to attend classes in America, but all of her paperwork had gone through just in time.

It had actually been her aunt on her mother's side of the family who had made the suggestion that she come to America. Her aunt had been living in New York for several years due to her job at the communications company that she worked for. Her aunt, Masako, had offered to be her financial sponsor for a school in America since Kagome had been having a hard time finding a college in Japan that would take her with her attendance record and grades from middle school.

Once her visa, passport, financial papers, and twenty-million other things had been put in order, Kagome found herself living in her own small apartment in New York and attending classes at one of the cities universities. With a major in history, she was hoping to one day be a teacher.

Classes had only recently started for the fall semester and she didn't quite have the campus layout memorized yet. Not to mention the crowds of tall, loud, and often-times obnoxious American young adults were beginning to intimidate and overwhelm the young Japanese woman.

A push here, a shove there, someone's shoulder that knocks her into a wall. _'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,'_ she thought. While the language hadn't been a problem for her, she was still having trouble adjusting to some parts of the American culture and customs. But did they all have to be so rude?! You'd think someone would apologize.

Just then she felt a gentle hand land on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" A concerned voice questioned.

Kagome looked up at a woman much taller than she was. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, and…Kagome blinked a few times. There was no doubt that this was someone who always stood out in a crowd, if only for her clothes. Then she remembered that she'd just been asked a question. "I'm fine," she replied meekly as she straightened herself into a standing position once more.

She had expected some kind of response, but found that the person towering over her was simply staring at her with a critical eye. It was beginning to get a little creepy…

"Henna amerika nin (_Weird Americans_)," Kagome muttered to herself. "Anataha karera no mae niha nippon no hitomi takotoganaidarouto omou (_You'd think they've never seen a Japanese person before_)."

Just then, blue eyes lit up in glee and Kagome found herself engulfed in a tight hug causing her to tense. "I'm so sorry I was staring," the woman currently invading her personal space apologized. "But I just got so caught up in how cute you are! You'd be perfect to model my designs this semester!"

"Excuse me?" Kagome questioned as she was released.

"Ah yes, I jumped the gun a little there, didn't I? I'm Char Delphi, a fashion design student here at the university. It's still early in the semester and I need a model for some of my designs for the next few months," the woman now known as Char explained. "I could pay you! But it has to be you! None of the other models for the art department would do my work justice. You would be perfect! You're so cute! Please say you'll do it. Please, please, please?!"

Kagome felt dizzy. What was happening? Design student, model, semester, money…money? Her aunt put money into a bank account regularly for her to live off of, but a little extra spending money never hurt. _'Please don't let this be a mistake…'_ she thought before sticking out her right hand and saying, "I'm Kagome Higurashi, a history major. I just started this semester."

Char tilted her head to the side in silent question.

"I thought it would be best to start with a proper introduction if we're going to be working together," Kagome answered with a hint of apprehension in her smile.

"Wonderful!" Char cheered drawing the attention of several passing students. "Come one, Kagome," she said as she grabbed Kagome's wrist and began dragging her down the hall.

"What?? But I…class!" Was the only thing that her mind could come up with in the situation.

"Don't worry about it. If you have a class this afternoon, I'll have my design professor make an excuse for you. He'll understand once he sees you! You are just too adorable!"

Blushing, Kagome piped, "You already said that. And do you mind if I ask where we're going??"

Char threw a smile over her shoulder as she answered, "We're going to my apartment! It's not that far and I want to see you in something of mine to make sure that you'll fit my style."

**Back to the present:**

And that was how Kagome found herself where she was now; in the bedroom of Char Delphi, an energetic and expressive aspiring designer and her newest (and only) friend in the city she now called home.

As she continued to study her reflection, a slightly more resentful expression graced her features. With her hair straightened it fell around her hips and she looked much more like Kikyo than she would like to admit. Looking away to study Char's room some more, Kagome decided to leave the past where it belonged. The final battle was over, they'd won, the jewel was completed and in her body once more, and she was back in her time permanently. End of story. Now all she had to worry about was passing her courses and making a future for herself.

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair gave a little squeal. She was either going to have to learn how to do this or talk Char into doing her hair every morning. "I wonder if she ever found the shoes she was looking for…" she asked nobody in particular as she rose from the plush bed she'd used as a seat for a moment.

"Char?" Kagome called as she exited the room to search for the woman searching for her shoes. That is until she heard shouting.

-----

"Are you crazy?! We have a show this weekend! You can't just cancel practice because your "art finally has the perfect canvas"…whatever the hell that means." Rail griped in Char's living room.

"We've been doing pretty well, Rail," Izsak chimed in. "Do you really think it could hurt that much to take one day off?"

"Oh, I don't even want to hear it from you," Rail glared at the bassist.

At this point, Cree stepped between the two men of her life. "Izsak, don't even try. And you, Rail, need to be nicer! It wouldn't hurt to take a little break. My throat's been a little scratchy lately so it's probably for the best."

"Don't make excuses for those two!" Rail yelled but paused and rubbed his right temple before looking to the floor and seeing an orange rolling by his feet.

"And _you_ need to stop yelling in my apartment. I do have neighbors, you know," Char reprimanded. "Face facts, Rail. You've been out-voted!" She announced in a cheery voice before sauntering around her kitchen counter to stand with her band-mates.

"Um, excuse me," a soft voice interrupted from the hall. "Did you find the shoes yet, Char?"

"And who the hell is that?" Rail demanded only to have Char stick her tongue out at him and practically skip over to the new woman.

Standing behind Kagome and placing her hands on the shorter girl's shoulders, Char introduced, "This is Kagome Higurashi and she's agreed to be my model for this semester. Isn't she adorable?! I knew she'd be perfect as soon as I saw her. And guess what?? She's from Tokyo! She just arrived this semester to take classes at the university." At this point, Char made a detour into her own world. "Just imagine all of the design tips she could give me on the latest fashions from overseas…I'd love to visit Tokyo one day. Cute visual kei boys…Cree, we should tour in Japan when we make it big!"

"Char? What are you talking about? What tour?" Kagome questioned her new friend.

"That's right, I haven't told you yet! I got so caught up with showing you my designs that I completely forgot. I'm the drummer in a band called 'Faust'! And these are my friends and band-mates: Cree our vocalist and Izsak our bassist…oh, and Rail over there plays guitar."

"Excuse me?! What the hell kind of introduction was that? Maybe I should do your _real_ introduction, Charl—" Rail was cut off by Cree's hand flying over his mouth. That was a particular topic (cough-war-cough) that she wanted to avoid for the moment.

Cree and Izsak were relieved when all Rail received in retaliation was a glare. But that only lasted for all of five seconds before Char decided it couldn't just be dropped there.

"Don't worry, Kagome," she began as she pulled the smaller woman into a close hug. "You don't have to pay any attention to Rail. He's always that grumpy because he's over-worked, under-sexed, and has a small penis." She smirked at the sound of Rail's unintelligible sputtering.

Kagome blushed a deep crimson. She had the feeling that she had just been pulled into the middle of a very intimate argument that she didn't completely understand. "Uh…I should probably get home, Char. I have a good bit of reading to get done before class tomorrow."

Char reluctantly agreed and escorted Kagome back to the bedroom where the clothes she'd arrived in had been left.

After a few quiet moments in the living room, Cree broke the silence. "Are you okay, Rail?"

The tall man's face was still slightly pink and he was staring down the hallway that the two women had disappeared into. Cree assumed that it was due to the lingering shock of Char's latest scathing comment about his manhood. If only she could hear the current thought occupying his head.

_'That Kagome girl is kind of cute when she blushes…'_

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

AN: And that's it! I know I have several stories lined up in my profile poll, but once I got done reading the third volume of RE:Play, I was hit with a massive amount of inspiration to turn out a first (complete) chapter even though it's not all that long. It's going to be a relatively short story. It probably won't top five chapters, but it'll be fun and cute while it lasts, right??  
The final volume came out on the first of this year and I bought it that day…only to have my brother steal it the next day before I had a chance to read it. So I finally have it back and it was awesome! I'm a little sketchy on some of my details though because, as I'm in the middle of a move, my first volume is in storage. I only have my second and third for references! If any of you guys have access to the first volume, I'd really appreciate just a few facts that would be greatly appreciated:  
1) I can't remember if a specific city is named. I have New York in my mind for some reason. No idea if that's correct or not.  
2) I know their ages, but the heights (and general stats if you don't mind) listed in the back of the book would be SUPER helpful.  
I'd wait to check my own copy, but I have no idea how long it will be before I can dig it out again…Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for any help you may give me, and I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think! See you guys later!


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